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[JPS 0]

Hey everyone long time no speak, hope all is well.

I hope that you can help me in going about getting a new PC to run flight simulator. I have a somewhat ambitious plan in that I now have a full time job and would like to splash my money on a really good set-up. I was tempted to base my plans on FS2004 but as I own a copy of FSX and the developments have grown I think it would be best to upgrade to this platform. This said I want a computer that will run FSX very well with a wealth on add on's such as Mega Airport Scenery and complex aircraft such as the PMDG 747 & MD-11 to name a few. I plan to purchase Saitek yokes and modules aswell as a CDU to and really go into detail; At this point in time I need to plan a rig to run it all from. I would say my budget for the rig is anywhere from £600 to £800. To save a whole block of writing I will summarise what I'm after.

* Is it cheaper and better to build a PC from scratch instead of purchasing a pre-made PC gaming computer? I have the idea that building from scratch offers unlimited options in customisation so to speak especially when it comes to FS.

*Is my budget a bit to ambitious in getting something to run FSX well with complex add-ons and scenery.

*What is the best set-up I could create with my budget in terms of processor/graphics cards etc etc?

*Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[mutley 4,498]

Hi Adam,

Long time no see, great to see you back.

Of course it would be cheapest to build your own machine, a couple of points:

• Get Windows 7 64 bit, that way memory over 3Gb will not be an issue.
• At least 2Gb ram, preferably 4Gb
• Make sure you buy the best CPU you can afford, FSX is notoriously CPU intensive.
• A graphics card at least 512Mb

I purchased my PC from http://www.wired2fire.co.uk it was overclocked and bench tested for stability, not the cheapest but a year on I am still really happy with it.

Cheers,

Joe

[JPS 0]

Thanks for the reply Joe!

See the issue is building a computer for me is a first. I've spent the afternoon reading up guides online to see if I can understand what to do. It all seems pretty straight forward but to be honest I'm lost when it comes to making sure the components are compatitable with each other and the right ones?

In that case I will go with Windows 7 64 Bit as I want atleast 6GB of ram to be safe. When it comes to a CPU I am very tempted by the Intel i7 950; is it a wise choice? However I don't know when it comes to choosing a motherboard what one I require to run this chip. Furthermore Graphics card wise I haven't a clue what model to go for, I would like an Nvidea 1GB card but all these models and different numbers confuse me The last point about components falls for RAM. I've read that DDR3 is that way to go but with all the different speeds I haven't a clue plus will the RAM be compatiable and run well with the rest of the computer?

Ohh the headache. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[ddavid 149]

If you're going for an i7, then you'll have to use DDR3 Ram, I think. Not sure if a 1Gb graphics card is better value for money than 512 Mb (the latter are not quite so 'up-to-date' so are often a lot cheaper). Windows 7 64-bit is a must. I've got an Asus M5Q Pro MoBo with an Intel Quad-processor - not the very best, but quite adequate for me. I guess, if you're going for jets+FPS+Traffic+Mega-Airports then you'll need something better. Good luck!

Cheers - Dai.

[mutley 4,498]

Adam,

For someone who hasn't built a PC before this may give you some ideas..

Some suppliers will offer motherboard and processor bundles like Novatech the CPU is matched and mouted in the MoBo ready, memory is included too.

You can also get a bare bones package with case PSU Mobo and CPU, all you need to add is the graphics card, hard disk, keyboard, mouse and operating system, more ideas here

This, along with some of your own research should give you some good pointers?

Cheers

[stu7708 244]

If you're going for an i7, then you'll have to use DDR3 Ram, I think.

Correct, and depending on what type of socket you get of the I7 they have to be teamed up in pairs or three of a kind.

[GabethePilot 1]

The best bang-for-buck GPU is the GTX 460 - a 1GB is around £130.

i7 with triple channel DDR3 is your best bet for the future if you can afford it, altohugh the i5 750 dual channel is the best "bang-for-buck" ... still !!!

As for the future of i7, well the Sandy-Bridge is around the corner, which is a new kind of 1156 I believe.

If I had 700 quids... I'd go for the i5 750... on a Gigabyte H55 UD3 (1156) microATX board, with 8GB (any more is overkill) 1600 DDR3 on 64 bit Win 7, with a water cooler (Corsair - £50) and o/c it to 4GHz.

(if you need crossfire or SLi - not good for FSX though !!! - get a different motherboard)

Add in a GTX 460 and that's a nice system, that will almost (c 90%) match a full blown i7 system... the main difference being hyper threading which FSX cannot use.

Also,don't skimp on the PSU... a 650 Corsair TX650 with 50 amps on the 12v rail should do nicely. In fact the GTX 460 only uses 28 amps... so it has some built-in headroom for a better GPU later.

(All this is dependant on what else you are using it for of course... ! For FSX only, an i5 750 at 4GZ will match equally, an i7 running at 3.6 GHz. Triple channel RAM has no discernible benefit in gaming, and 'hyper threading' is useless to FSX (unless in a dual-core like an i3 530. when it runs at around 80% the power of a full quad, clock-for-clock.)

With the £150 saving over the i7 system... get a Track IR or a Saitek Throttle and Yoke... or a better monitor !

Optimisation of one's experience is the key.

[JPS 0]

Thanks for the link Joe, I didn't even think to wonder if I could get the motherboard and CPU combo! Looks good to me

The best bang-for-buck GPU is the GTX 460 - a 1GB is around £130.

(if you need crossfire or SLi - not good for FSX though !!! - get a different motherboard)

(All this is dependant on what else you are using it for of course... ! For FSX only, an i5 750 at 4GZ will match equally, an i7 running at 3.6 GHz. Triple channel RAM has no discernible benefit in gaming, and 'hyper threading' is useless to FSX (unless in a dual-core like an i3 530. when it runs at around 80% the power of a full quad, clock-for-clock.)

I like the look of the GTX 460 and the price seems reasonable. I am thinking of getting a motherboard to run crossfire/SLi as I'm to the trouble of making it so might aswell make it a flexible PC. In which case is there a motherboard you can suggest for SLi/Crossfire capabilities?

Please excuse me as I'm still trying to get my head around this but are you saying I could get an i5 to run just as good as an i7 for FSX and save myself some money. If so how do I go about doing this?

Thank you very much for your help so far guys, it's been very useful

EDIT: I also forget to mention that the PC would only be used for FSX.